<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>things you said when you were scared by The_IPRE</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28428507">things you said when you were scared</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_IPRE/pseuds/The_IPRE'>The_IPRE</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Campaign (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Memory Loss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:35:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>767</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28428507</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_IPRE/pseuds/The_IPRE</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Are…<i>you</i> good?”</p>
<p>“Oh, yeah, I’m fine, just wanted to get some night air, and it’s actually even better because now I can’t feel my fingers instead of them just hurting!” Gable looks down at him and Jonnit sighs, shoulders slumping. “You’re right, that’s a bad lie. Not about the hands, I can’t feel them – did you know that Travis stole my gloves to cut off the fingers? – but. I couldn’t sleep.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gable &amp; Jonnit Kessler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>things you said when you were scared</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrowningInStarlight/gifts">DrowningInStarlight</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thank you Rowan for the prompt!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="">
  <p>The night is cold when Gable finds Jonnit, perched on the broken masthead of the <em>Uhuru</em>.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>They tug their oilskin coat tighter, ambient moisture from clouds trickling down their neck, and frown when they see his shoulders shaking. It could be from the cold, it could be from the damp, but a hand comes to grasp at the back of his head as though it’s trying to hold him together and Gable makes their way over.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Jonnit jumps at the large hand settling on his shoulder, eyes wide and red-rimmed, limbs tightly pulled to his center and so unlike his usual gangling existence. He dashes a hand across his eyes. “Oh, hey Gable! Uh. What’re you doing up here?” His voice shakes around the words.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Well, I was planning on relieving Nodoze, but he seems to have things covered for the moment.” Gable looks over to where he stands at the wheel, intense gaze looking out into the sky. He catches their eye and inclines his head in a nod. “Are…<em>you</em> good?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Oh, yeah, I’m fine, just wanted to get some night air, and it’s actually even better because now I can’t feel my fingers instead of them just hurting!” Gable looks down at him and Jonnit sighs, shoulders slumping. “You’re right, that’s a bad lie. Not about the hands, I can’t feel them – did you know that Travis stole my gloves to cut off the fingers? – but. I couldn’t sleep.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Gable takes their hands out of their coat to hold Jonnit’s, rubbing his iceblock fingers to warm them. “Well, thank you for telling me the truth,” they say, because they’re really trying to be a good influence and impart important life lessons. Travis certainly won’t. “Do you want to. Talk about it?” They hold back a smile at the words. They’re getting <em>so</em> good at this.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Jonnit sighs and hunches in on himself, hands still caught in Gable’s. When he starts talking, the flood of words are clearly ones that have been running around his head for quite a while. “It’s- There was this guy, back home, and he always told the best stories, he could tell you <em>anything</em> if you asked, like one time I asked him what was up with T’Shirt because that can’t be a real place, but he told me? He was <em>so cool</em>, Gable, and I keep thinking about him, and then I can’t remember his name, and I’m trying not to let it get to me but it’s really starting to get to me.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>His breathing is heavy, and Gable can almost see the distressed movements of his third eye under the bandana. They nod what they hope is their encouraging nod. “That does sound very distressing.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“I know it’s a stupid thing to get upset about, he’s just a guy, but I’ve been trying to remember him for weeks now and I just <em>can’t</em>.” Jonnit takes his hands back, wraps them around his legs. “It’s like a popcorn kernel stuck in my teeth and I just can’t work it out, and at first it was just frustrating but now I’m really starting to get worried because what if I start losing other things?” His thumb rubs at the palm of his left hand, passing over the ghost of a mariner’s mark. “What if I start forgetting Akaron?” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Gable reaches out a hand and it hovers above his shoulder. “Would you like a hug?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Jonnit nods and curls into them as best he can, and again it hits Gable how small he is. Everyone is small to them, but Jonnit has the sort of force of personality that makes them forget that. Here, folded in against their chest, they’re struck once more by the knowledge that he is just fifteen. They pat his back and then hold him tight. “If you do start losing more of your memories, we can be amnesiac buddies. I’ll make us matching patches.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Jonnit’s shoulders start shaking and Gable is sure that they put their foot in their mouth – or maybe are squeezing him too tightly – but then they hear his muffled laughter. “Travis doesn’t get one.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Of course not, only the, uh, the coolest amnesiac corsairs can join the club. Travis doesn’t qualify.” Jonnit nods against them, and Gable rubs his back. Eventually, they start to feel the tension ease from him, his weight leaning into Gable more heavily.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>He speaks again, voice muffled where his face is pressed against them. “My sister’s name is Zana. Don’t let me forget that.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Gable settles their chin against the top of his head. “I promise.”</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Feel free to leave a comment or kudos, or come talk to me on tumblr at <a href="https://the-ipre.tumblr.com">the-ipre</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>